Ellen Wagner: Putting Data to Work

Description

Ellen Wagner, Executive Director, WCET.
Putting Data to Work
This session explores changing data sensibilities at US post-secondary institutions with particular attention paid to how predictive analytics are changing expectations for institutional accountability and student success. Results from the Predictive Analytics Reporting Framework show that predictive modeling can identify students at risk and that linking behavioral predictions of risk with interventions to mitigate those risks at the point of need is a powerful strategy for increasing rates of student retention, academic progress and completion.
presentation at the 15th annual SLN SOLsummit February 27, 2014
http://slnsolsummit2014.edublogs.org/

Session Overview • This session explores changing data sensibilities at US postsecondary institutions. Particular attention is paid to how predictive analytics are changing expectations for institutional accountability and student success. • Results from current work in postsecondary education show that predictive modeling can effectively identify students at risk. • Is predicting risk enough to move the needle on risk mitigation to improve student success? • What does this mean for online learning?

Setting the Context: Data Are Changing Everything

“Meh… education researchers have always worked with data.” • • • • We do qualitative research with data We do quantitative research with data We do evaluations with data We develop surveys and instruments and experiments to collect more data • We pull data from LMSs, SISs, ERPs, CRMs … • We write reports, summaries, make presentations, develop articles and books and webcasts….

Getting to the right answer takes work • Analysis and model building is an iterative process • Around 70-80% efforts are spent on data exploration and understanding. SAS Analysis/Modeling Process

Three Opportunities on our Horizons • Linking predictions to action • Creating new insights and opportunities with data • Delivering on the promise of what online learning can be

Link Predictions to Action • Predictive analytics refer to a wide varieties of methodologies. There is no single “best” way of doing predictives. You need to know what you are looking for. • Simply knowing who is at risk is simply not enough. Predictions have value when they are tied to what you can do about it. • Linking behavioral predictions of risk with interventions at the best points of fit offers a powerful strategy for increasing rates of student retention, academic progress and completion.

Delivering on the promises of what Online Learning can be • Online learning is more than MOOCs, but that has now become the public perception of what we do. • We are watching our our practice disaggregated into 3rd party platforms and apps. • We find ourselves at the center of strategic conversations, but the ways in which we are evaluated continue to miss the mark. • We need to get out of the way of what we’ve been and embrace where we need to go.

How Are We Doing So Far? • Data analytics are still emerging. Many organization still rely on traditional technology (e.g. spreadsheets) and methods (e.g. inferential statistics). • Analytics tend to be used narrowly within departments and business units, not integrated across the institutions. • Intuition based on experience is still the driving factor in datadriven decision-making. Analytics are used as a part of the process. 17 Bloomberg BusinessWeek Research Services Analytics Insights (2014):

How Are We Doing So Far? • Data is the number 1 challenge in the adoption and use of analytics. Organization continue to struggle with data accuracy, consistency, access. • Analytics to solve big issues, with the primary focus on reducing costs, improving the bottom line, managing risk. • Many organizations lack the proper analytical talent. Organizations that struggle with making good use of analytics often don’t know how to apply the results. • Culture plays a critical role in the effective use of data analytics. 18

PAR Core Competencies, helping members IDENTIFY Benchmarks Provide insight into how institutions compare to their peers through common measures by scaling multiinstitutional datasets for benchmarking and research purposes. TARGET Models Identify which students need assistance, by using in-depth, institutional specific predictive models Models are unique to the needs and priorities of our member institutions based on their specific data. TREAT Interventions Determine the best way to address areas of weakness identified in benchmarks and models by scaling and leveraging a member and literature validated framework for examining interventions within and across institutions (SSMx)

Different Levels of Insight PAR Benchmarks Descriptive Analytics PAR Models Predictive Analytics Cross Institutional Student/degree/major level insight into: 1. What did the retention look like for students entering in the same cohort 2. How does your institution compare to peer institutions / institutions in other sectors 3. What was the relationship of student attributes 4. What were the attributes and performance outcomes Institutional Specific insight into: 1. What students are being retained over time? 2. Which students are currently at risk for completing and why? 3. Which factors are directly correlated to student success?

The Predictive Analytics Reporting (PAR) Framework, WCET

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